Institutions within the Community

Heads of Government and State of the Caribbean Community have accepted the advice of the President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the Rt. Hon. Michael de la Bastide, T.C. and the Chairman of the Inauguration Task Force, Sir David Simmons, K.A., to postpone the inauguration of the CCJ to the first quarter of 2005. Heads had previously set 6 November 2004 as the date for inauguration during their meeting in Grenada in July 2004.

Postponement of the date for inauguration has become inevitable for three (3) main reasons_

The first President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the Right Honorable Justice Michael de la Bastide of Trinidad and Tobago will be sworn in on Wednesday, 18 August.

President of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. George Maxwell Richards will administer the Oath of Office before a gathering expected to include Prime Minister of Grenada and CARICOM Chairman, Dr. the Honorable Keith Mitchell; CARICOM Secretary General, Mr. Edwin Carrington; and Commissioners of the Regional Judiciary and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC).

Twenty-seven young persons representing thirteen Member States and three Associate States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as Youth Ambassadors have been encouraged to develop and articulate a shared vision for the Caribbean that focuses on improving the quality of life for all in the Community. The charge was given by Deputy Secretary-General of CARICOM, Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite during an address at an induction ceremony for the CARICOM youth representatives held at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Headquarters St Kitts and Nevis on Tuesday (August 3).

CARICOM Secretary-General Mr. Edwin Carrington has welcomed the introduction of legislation by the Government of Belize to change its constitution to allow for the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

A bill was introduced in the Belize Parliament on Friday 6 February to replace the United Kingdom-based Privy Council with the CCJ as the Central American CARICOM Member State’s final court of appeal.

The Revised Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice Trust Fund (the Revised Agreement) entered into force on Tuesday 27 January 2004 on signature by ten (10) of the CARICOM Member States. The States that have signed the Revised Agreement to date are Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica, both signatories to the original Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice Trust Fund, are expected to sign the Revised Agreement shortly.

At the Twenty-Fourth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, Heads considered the request made to each Member State of the Community by the Government of the United States of America to enter into bilateral immunity or ‘non-surrender” agreements that exempt US nationals and other persons who have worked for the US Government from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The planned inauguration of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) later this year moved one step closer with CARICOM Heads of Government signing four instruments relating to the establishment and operation of the court.

The Caribbean Court of Justice in its continued Public Education Programme, on the 22-23 May, 2003 launched its public education programme in Haiti.

Haiti is the newest Member State embraced as a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

The launch and first round of the education programme in Haiti, targeted the Judiciary and Magistracy.

The Haitian Judiciary was given the opportunity to discuss the CCJ in the context of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

The people of St. Kitts and Nevis recently had another opportunity to learn more about the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) by way of a series of regional educational activities, led by a team from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat.

The team, led by Sheldon McDonald, CCJ Project Co-ordinator for the establishment of the CCJ, began its educational activities, organised by the St. Kitts and Nevis National Co-ordinating Committee for the CCJ with a live radio and television discussion on the broadcast network ZIZ Radio and Television.